Beneath the Howling Stars
by hysteria TYPE A
Summary: In the time of Louis XV, set in 1758, Paris, France, a young lady, Kagome is betrothed to the powerful & enigmatic Sess, bound on a journey across the seas due to an accident with his bro Inu, she'll discover love in the most unlikely places. Inu/Kag. A/U
1. Two Brothers

"Beneath the Howling Stars"  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Two Brothers  
  
Higurashi Manor, Paris, France  
  
May 24, 1758  
  
"My lady, please wake up, your grandfather wants a word with you in his study." Kagome opened her dreary eyes, letting in the bright sunlight of the morning day. She was exhausted from the party she had attended yesterday night at Count Bordelaise's manor. It was quite boring and she really was sick and tired of all these balls she had to go to. Her grandfather and mother were constantly searching for a husband for her to marry, but she was only fifteen, for god's sake! She still had a few good years to her and she highly doubted that any gentlemen would want to marry a girl like her. They would all lose interest in her when they find out that she liked to read and probably knew more about the world than them. Men, they never appreciated a woman's intellect, they can't stand it if one was smarter. Girls were just pawns used for power and position. They really had no say in their future.  
  
"What's that matter? Is something wrong?" She sat up, yawning. "Must he call me now? He knows that I'm tired from last night."  
  
"Oh, but it is urgent my lady." Lucie, Kagome's new personal maid went and laid out some dresses for her to choose from.  
  
"You don't have to do that, Lucie. I can get it myself." Kagome waved her hand in dismissal. "I bet you're mighty hungry, why don't you go downstairs and get yourself some breakfast?"  
  
"Thank you, my lady, but it is my duty to dress you myself. Your mother would not like it if I do so otherwise."  
  
"Oh, I suppose so," Kagome rolled her eyes, and got out of the huge canopy bed, walking to the gold gilded mirror where a basin of cold water waited for her. She washed her face, frowning at the dark circles under her eyes. Her face looked haggard and pale. She really needed to get more sleep these days. Damn balls and parties. She looked around at the many dresses strewn across the floor, and wrinkled her brow. Was she that messy last night? The large window by her bed had been flung open and a warm breeze blew in. The walls were painted a delicate crème color, decorated with a lovely painting of her that hung over the fireplace. Two elegant armchairs sat around a coffee table, with the best china wear to drink tea from.  
  
"What dress shall you be wearing today, my lady?" Lucie spread her hands across the many colorful dresses laid out on Kagome's bed.  
  
"You pick the one you like, Lucie. I really don't care."  
  
Lucie picked up a pale yellow gown with small pink rosebuds sewn at the neckline and sleeves. It was perfect for the morning. Kagome thought it made her look like a sick canary. She sighed, going over the bed pole and lifting her arms up to be dressed. Day in and day out, this was the usual routine since she was a child. How she longed for a change in this slow paced life. She was tired of the men who wanted her only for money, the empty headed girls whose only knowledge was in the latest fashions and the newest bachelors to make their husbands. They say the rich have it all, but she didn't believe that. She would rather be a poor peasant and learn what love is, than be stuck with a husband who only married her for her large dowry.  
  
Lucie slid off the thin night shift and wrapped the corset around Kagome's middle, tying it tightly. Kagome sucked in a labored breath and waited for Lucie to finish tying the knot. She felt like her ribs were about to break, these stupid corsets, what was the point of them, if a woman cannot even breathe straight without fainting. "Lucie, stop," Kagome gasped out. "Untie me at once!"  
  
"But my lady-" Lucie protested.  
  
"Do it!"  
  
Lucie quickly undid the knots and released the corset. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to her knees on the white-carpeted floor. She took in deep breaths of air and rubbed her aching ribs. "Merci, Lucie. It's so much better to be able to breathe. I've made up my mind," she said determinedly, " I'm not wearing anymore of these darn contraptions again!"  
  
"But, your mother!"  
  
"I don't care what she says. My waist is already as thin as could be, why do I need to kill myself in making it even smaller? Honestly!" Kagome got up and went to the mirror, surveying herself. "Lucie, do you really think my waist is that big?"  
  
"No, my lady, but it is the fashion to wear a corset."  
  
"Fashion smashion, I don't care anymore. Just put the dress on me, Lucie."  
  
After getting her dress on, Kagome studied her reflection in the mirror. The dark circles were still visible under her eyes, and she really didn't want to wear the nasty white makeup her mother was always trying to get her to put on. She sighed, oh well, it's not as if anybody were to see her, and if they did, why would they even care? "You may go now, Lucie."  
  
"Your hair-"  
  
"Go, I'll do it myself." Kagome took out some bobby pins and started sticking them up in her thick black hair. It had a tendency to curl and undo itself in the midst of a banquet.  
  
"Oh, and Lucie?" Kagome called after her. "I should like a nice, hot bath after breakfast is served, Lucie. If you do not mind?"  
  
"Oh, of course not my lady!"  
  
"Merci, Lucie."  
  
Once she was satisfied with the way her hair looked, she straightened her bodice one last time and went downstairs to the second floor where her grandfather's study was located. As a child, she'd always loved going there, for he had the most wonderful collection of books. There was smell of the books and her grandfather's tobacco that she had taken a liking to. She would get comfortable in a chair by the fireside with a good book and read well into the morning. Sometimes the maids would find her there in the morning, sleeping with a book in her lap. Her mother disagreed with this, but her grandfather said it wouldn't harm a young lady to know a thing or two these days. Kagome was grateful to him for that. Her little brother, Souta, looked up to her a whole lot, and she tried to be the best role model for him for trying to get him to read more and study well. Right now she expected he was on a hunting expedition with their cousins. She really was very fond of him, and she would miss him if she ever got married.  
  
At the door of her grandfather's study, Kagome knocked lightly. "Come in." She opened the door and took a few steps in.  
  
"You wanted to speak with me, Grandfather?" He was smoking a cigar, and his gray hair was sticking particularly high up today. That meant he was happy about something.  
  
"Ah, there you are, Kagome." Her grandfather's jovial voice echoed throughout the study. He was standing behind his desk with a huge grin on his face. What is he up to, Kagome thought? There was a man she had never seen before standing in front of his desk.  
  
Kagome looked curiously at him, her eyes questioning.  
  
The man before her was very tall, she guessed he must have been well over six feet and his clothes were immaculate, everything was perfectly in place from the top of his head right down to his buckled shoes. He did not have a powdered wig on, as was the height of French fashion at that time, and his hair was a silver white grew long past his waist and tied neatly in a ponytail. He swept her a bow and bent to kiss her hand. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life. His face looked like it had been sculpted from the great Michelangelo himself; every angle was symmetrical with the next. He was David come to life. His golden eyes burned into hers and she found herself quite speechless.  
  
"Allow me to introduce Monsieur Sesshoumaru de Baudelaire, Marquis de Masson. He has come to pay a call on you, Kagome. Monsieur Baudelaire, this is my granddaughter, Kagome." The Baudelaires were one of the most influential and powerful families in the whole of France. They were in great favor with the king but were seen in France very rarely, because they were always busy sailing over seas, trading or traveling to exotic lands to stay home much. She'd never thought that she would see a Baudelaire, rather the Marquis himself, in person.  
  
"Echanté d'avoir fait votre connaissance, Mademoiselle," he said, in a deep masculine voice that made the hair on the back of her neck prickle.  
  
"Moi aussi, Monsieur," Kagome replied, smiling politely. She felt her hand trembling slightly. His face has remained impassive the whole time, his tone very cold. All the while, he was every bit the gentleman despite his icy veneer. He released her hand and pulled out a chair for her to sit. "Please, sit down," Kagome's grandfather gestured for her to be seated.  
  
They all sat down with Sesshoumaru next to Kagome and her grandfather behind his desk. "Now, let us get on to business."  
  
"Business?" Kagome asked, "What business?"  
  
"Yes, my dear, the marriage business," he gestured to Sesshoumaru. "Monsieur Baudelaire here has proposed a marriage between you and him. I think it's a grand idea, Kagome, and it'll benefit you both. You are to be married by the spring next year!"  
  
Kagome looked at them both in shock. "Are you serious about this?"  
  
"We are very serious, Mademoiselle," Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"Oh, but- it is simply too soon!" Kagome stood up from her seat angrily, "Are you both mad? Why have you not consulted me first on this? You're all in this together, aren't you?" She pounded her fist angrily on the desk. "I demand a say in this!"  
  
"Kagome! That is not way to act in front of a gentleman!" Her grandfather looked at her in surprise. "You will apologize to him at once."  
  
"Please, Monsieur Higurashi, may I have a private word with your granddaughter?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly.  
  
"Ah, all right. Don't embarrass me anymore, Kagome," he sputtered, closing the door and leaving them alone in the room.  
  
Sesshoumaru went on his knees in front of her and calculated her pale face. Her lips were trembling. He took her shaking hands in his and said in a very soothing voice, "It will be all right, you do not have to worry about anything."  
  
"Monsieur Bauldelaire, I am sorry, but I cannot possibly marry you," Kagome said in a trembling voice.  
  
"I was expecting this. Can you tell me why you can't?"  
  
"B-because, I-I do not know you, and I am t-too young."  
  
"We could get to know each other and girls have married younger than your age, Kagome. I think it runs deeper than that, come, what is the real reason?"  
  
"I-I do not love you!" Kagome blurted out.  
  
"Hmm," Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed in thought. "Kagome, marriages aren't for love. I thought you would be more sensible than that. What has love got to do with anything?"  
  
"Oh, but it has everything to do with it. I won't marry a man I do not love."  
  
Sesshoumaru sighed, "Kagome, I can offer you wealth, a nice home and whatever your heart desires, except love. Love, I am afraid I cannot offer you. I am not a very emotional man, Kagome. I'm very busy also, and I won't be home much often. But I am fond of you. You're smart, beautiful, and you are rich, Kagome. Perhaps we will learn to care for each other, won't we? Isn't that enough?"  
  
"I don't know, Monsieur. From what I've heard, you're a nice man and I know you won't do anything to deliberately hurt me."  
  
"Yes, it is true. I'm a tolerant man, Kagome. I need a strong and intelligent wife to run my households, raise my children and I believe that woman is you."  
  
He gazed at her so intently then, this mysterious man who so intimidated her.  
  
"This is a better deal than most, and you don't want to live as a spinster your whole life, do you? This marriage would benefit us both. I would have a wife who can manage the many houses while I'm gone and you can have a husband who can take care of you and more."  
  
"Yes, I suppose this is better than what I'll ever be offered again," Kagome said hesitantly. His golden eyes intimidated her; she hated to admit. But he was a nice man, she could tell, and she should like to get to know him better. He seemed to like her for her, and not her money. He was already immensely wealthy himself, what good will her dowry do for him? She was happy at the thought of this.  
  
"There's a girl. Now, are we agreed?"  
  
"Yes," Kagome said, brightening up.  
  
Sesshoumaru kissed her hand and she smiled. He got up at that moment and opened the door, letting her grandfather; mother and butler come tumbling down to the floor in a heap. He looked down at them with amusement in his voice, "You've all been listening on our little conversation, I believe?"  
  
They laughed nervously, "Oh, no, no, no! We were just happening by and well, you know," Kagome's grandfather rubbed his sore bottom. Kagome laughed at this, "Well, aren't you going to congratulate me, Grandfather?"  
  
"Oh, my dear, I am so happy for you. You couldn't have done any better than this!" Her mother came and wrapped her arms around Kagome in a tight hug.  
  
"See, I told you a girl needs a little knowledge in her head to catch the big one," Kagome's grandfather winked at her, taking out a cigar from his box, "Cigar, Monsieur Baudelaire?"  
  
"No thank you, I don't smoke."  
  
"I bet you don't drink either," Grandfather laughed jokingly.  
  
"Actually, I do prefer water to wine," Sesshoumaru said seriously.  
  
Kagome was beginning to enjoy this conversation when her mother interrupted, "Now, gentleman, if you would excuse us," and ushered her out of the room.  
  
In her bedroom there was a tub laid out in front of the fireplace and as Kagome sank into the warm steamy bath, her mother started bombarding her with statistics on Monsieur Baudelaire.  
  
"He's very wealthy, you know. I heard he has a house in almost every major country in Europe. France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, you name it. Oh, my girl, you are so lucky to be engaged to him. They'll be talking about this all over the newspapers. Do you know what he told me about you that caught his attention?"  
  
"No, Mama, what?"  
  
"A few months ago at a business banquet, the gentleman was discussing what was so unique about their daughters, you know, to make them sound good for the marriage market. Well, Monsieur Baudelaire was there and he heard your grandfather talking about what a bookish and intelligent girl you are. That perked his interest up at once. You see, he was out searching for a prospective wife and he certainly didn't want an empty-headed crème puff of a girl for his wife. You know how many there are in Paris."  
  
"Wasn't it you that have always been trying to make me into a crème puff, Mama?" Kagome said ironically.  
  
Her mother's cheeks turned red at that, "Oh, well. I must say that I was wrong to do that, I had absolutely no idea that Monsieur Baudelaire felt that way about women."  
  
Kagome smiled secretly to herself. "When am I to be married, Mama? Is it really next spring?"  
  
"Yes, right on schedule, dear. Monsieur Baudelaire is very organized; he has planned it all out already. In February, you are to sail with him to his home in Sicily, Italy, where they will conduct the marriage ceremony."  
  
"But why Italy, why not here?"  
  
"Because that was where he was born and where he currently resides, he hopes you do not mind."  
  
"Oh, I don't. I've never been to Italy before and I would love to see it." Kagome blew some soap bubbles out in the air. "I believe I will learn to like him, he's not so bad."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Château de Versailles, France  
  
June 4, 1758  
  
Sesshoumaru invited Kagome to attend a grand ball at the Château de Versailles, where Louis XV was currently residing. It was certainly the most beautiful palace she had seen. It was first built as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII, and he liked it so much that he had it greater enlarged. Soon it grew into an immense palace with the help of Louis XIV, the "Sun King" who made greater extensions to it. It was a place of great arts, music and dancing. France was swept with a taste for elegance and luxurious extravagances at that time. The first time she saw the palace, she was so in awe that she completely forgot her surroundings, to marvel at the beauty of it. They visited the Chapel Royal, where the king went for mass. The interior was carved out of strikingly white marble stone, every inch of it was delicately hand carved, every detail perfected. The pillars were adorned with mythical objects and the ceilings were painted with figures from the Bible. Bronze bass statues at the altars featured Descent from the Cross, and a symbol of God. It was a masterpiece of sculpture. The Chapel was a tribute to Saint Louis, the Louis's namesake.  
  
She had the honor of meeting Louis XV himself. He was a handsome, intelligent man, though somewhat shy. He was very friendly with Sesshoumaru and they had quite a conversation on the first day they arrived at Versailles. He was often gone to his private apartments, entertaining with his mistress, Madame de Pompadour. Madame and Louis invited them to take a stroll in the palace gardens, which they accepted quite readily. The gardens had a large amount of beautiful fountains depicting the Greek gods and mythological creatures. He called Kagome, "comely," making her blush. She enjoyed conversations with the famed Madame de Pompadour, who was deemed one of the most beautiful and wittiest women in France. Kagome found out that she did live up to her reputation. Madame was the proprietor of the arts and encouraged such painters like François Boucher, sculptors Jean- Baptiste and writers Voltaire to display their works at Versailles. She had taken a liking to Kagome, whom she said was a "jewel."  
  
That night she and Sesshoumaru attended the ball, but he seemed preoccupied with other matters. She could tell his mind was elsewhere. He wore a white jacket and breeches that night, detailed with gold thread woven into the fabric. She thought he looked even more handsome than before. He kept glancing towards the balcony, as if expecting someone to pop up. It was very crowded in the Grand Ball room, Kagome felt quite closed up. She watched the men and women dance, with their brightly colored jackets and dresses, all in a whirl, like a rainbow of butterflies. The orchestra was playing Madame de Pompadour's request, a very light-hearted and uplifting song. Kagome stood by the chairs with Sesshoumaru, waiting for him to ask her for a dance. She got tired of it and asked him, "Sesshoumaru, is something on your mind?"  
  
"It is nothing of your concern," he replied, looking at the balcony doors again. His golden eyes flashed then and he excused himself from her, walking at a fast pace to where he was looking. She started to go after him, but was stopped by Madame de Pompadour's call.  
  
"Kagome, come here, my girl. I would like you to meet someone," Madame beckoned her forward. "Permettez-moi de vous présenter Monsieur de Marquis d'Avignon. He is the son of my very close friend, the late Marquis d'Avignon." A man came forward, smiling when he saw her. She curtsied to him and let him kiss her hand. His touch lingered for far more time than was required. "Je suis heureux de fair votre connaissance, Mademoiselle," he said, his tone lightly suggestive. He wore no wig, his jet-black hair was tied neatly in a short ponytail and wearing a dark violet jacket with matching breeches. They were lined in elegant black designs on the collar and cuffs. She observed two gold earrings on his right ear.  
  
"The Marquis here is determined to become a monk, isn't that true?" Madame asked him.  
  
"But of course, I have been almost everywhere, Madame, and I have never seen such sights as the in great temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, or the temples in Japan. I knew then that I had to convert myself to Buddhism."  
  
"Ah, but why leave such a glamorous life you have now, to live such a simple one? I do believe that you wouldn't survive to a week, my dear."  
  
"Madame, I never did say that I planned to leave soon. You see, when I get myself an heir, then I will venture forth into the world of monks and the great Buddha."  
  
"Knowing your lecherous tendencies, Marquis, I doubt you'll have trouble getting one soon," Madame de Pompadour smiled knowingly at him.  
  
He winked at her and turned to Kagome, "May I have the honor of a dance with Mademoiselle?"  
  
"If Madame de Pompadour does not mind," Kagome waited for her permission. Madame waved them off, for she was occupied with talking with one of the ambassadors.  
  
He led her onto the dance floor, where the orchestra was beginning to play a slow song now. They began dancing a slow dance, moving gracefully in circles.  
  
"You look lovely this evening, Mademoiselle. I must say, is that roses I smell in your hair?"  
  
"You are very forward, Monsieur. Yes, it is roses."  
  
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Why don't you and I go somewhere a little more, private?" He squeezed her waist and pulled her closer to him, his black eyes glinting with lasciviousness. He grinned and bent to kiss her right there.  
  
Kagome gasped and slapped him hard on the cheek, leaving bright red handprint of his face. "How dare you! You really are a lecher!" She left him standing there on the dance floor, red mark and all, to the stares and gasps of the guests dancing and went in search of Sesshoumaru.  
  
She noticed him by the French balcony doors, talking to a man in a black cloak. They seemed to be in very deep conversation. Sesshoumaru suddenly straightened up and followed the man out the ballroom doors. She lost them in the crowd and was asked to dance by another gentleman immediately. She was left wondering that night what had happened to him, and why he'd left so suddenly.  
  
The next morning there was a huge basket of white roses on her dressing table. Inside was a note from him, it read:  
  
"Kagome, I am terribly sorry about leaving you alone last night and hope for your forgiveness, but I had a great urgent business to attend to. I have to return back to Italy today to work it all out. I trust that you will not reveal this information to anyone else. I know that there are a millions questions forming in your head right now, but please have faith in me. All will be revealed when the time is right. I shall hope to be seeing you next spring, in Sicily, Italy and we will finally be wed. Til then, your most sincere fiancé, Sesshoumaru de Baudelaire, Marquis de Masson"  
  
She smelled the beautiful roses and her heart warmed even more to him. "Well, at least he was courteous enough to send me flowers," she said out loud, particularly to nobody. "But, what did he leave so urgently for? It must be very serious. I hope he's going to be all right." She said a prayer for his well being and put the roses in a vase filled with water. A maid came in at that moment and saw them, exclaiming, "Ah, Mademoiselle! Are those the flowers from Monsieur Baudelaire?"  
  
"Oui," Kagome replied.  
  
"Oh, he is so romantic, isn't he?"  
  
Kagome just smiled faintly, her mind worried with turmoil at his note.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
February 2, 1759  
  
Paris, France  
  
"Hurry, Kagome. You're going to be late!" Lucie tossed her the big, patched bag, where all her belongings were in. It was the morning of her departure from the old life she had known so well, and the journey to new discoveries. Kagome put on her cloak and swept out of the room she'd held so dear to her childhood. She gave it one final look before going down the staircase to meet her grandfather, mother and brother.  
  
"Au revoir, Mama. Au revoir, Grandpapa. A bientot." She kissed them both on the cheek and turned to Souta. "I'll miss you, my dear little brother." She hugged him tightly, and kissed him on the head.  
  
"Will I ever see you again, Kagome?"  
  
"Of course you will, when I get settled down, I'll send for you. You can come live with me if you want."  
  
"I'd like that very much," Souta grinned and hugged her one last time. She said a final goodbye and went out the door to the coach waiting outside. As it sped away, she leaned her head back in the soft cushioned seat and closed her eyes.  
  
It had been months since she'd seen Sesshoumaru; the last time was at Versailles, when he left her. He had written another letter to her, telling her that a ship, called the Eternity, would be coming on February 2, and he would be there to greet her and take her sailing to Italy himself.  
  
Kagome saw the ship at once, for it was the largest and grandest one there at the docks. On the side was painted in elegant gold letters, Eternity. So this is it, she thought. Goodbye Paris, France, hello to Rome, Italy. She turned and waved goodbye to her coachman and walked up the planks, looking for her fiancé. The sailors greeted her with cheerful waves and cries. One man shouted, "Ahoy there, pretty lady!" She liked his crew already. She saw the flag with the Baudelaires's crest flying up high near the sails. It was half white and half red, lined with gold threads and with two silver dogs, one larger and one smaller. There was an air of excitement and everywhere someone was busy with his or her work.  
  
"Excuse me, Monsieur," Kagome asked a sailor who was tying some ropes to a crate of goods. He looked at her and grinned, showing a mouthful of gold teeth. "Do you happen to know where the captain is?"  
  
"Why, he's running right at you, lady." He pointed some distance behind her.  
  
A man came running to her, his long silver white hair glinting in the bright sun. He waved at her and she waved back, smiling. As he got closer her smile faded. He had the same hair and eyes as Sesshoumaru, but his features were more rugged and his physique more muscular. His skin was tanned a golden bronze color, whereas Sesshoumaru's was pale, like cool white marble. He was bare-chested, wearing only a pair of dark red breeches with a long sword hanging off his hip. He grinned at her confused expression, when he stood before her. "Well now, you must be Mademoiselle Kagome. You're a lot prettier than what Sesshoumaru gave you credit for." His long hair was let free and blew in tangles in the wind. His golden eyes had inviting warmth in them that was not present in Sesshoumaru's. She noticed that his teeth were very white.  
  
"Yes, you seem to know my name, but I believe I don't have the pleasure of knowing yours, Monsieur."  
  
"Ah, there are no Monsieurs here. Just call me, Inuyasha. I'm your fiancé's brother." He swept her an exaggerated bow, and kissed her hand loudly, making her giggle. "Isn't that how I'm supposed to do it in a lady's presence?"  
  
"Yes," Kagome said, smiling, liking him already. "But I don't think that would be necessary onboard this ship."  
  
Inuyasha make a mock shudder, "So, what do you think of this ship, Kagome?"  
  
"I think it's magnificent. Who built it, may I ask?"  
  
"Why, I did. It's part of my profession. I must say, I'm quite proud of it. Shipbuilding has always been a passion of mine since I was a child."  
  
"You have good reason to be." She turned and surveyed the many sailors working to hoist up the sails and get the ship ready to deport. "So, where is Sesshoumaru?"  
  
Inuyasha rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Feh. Well, he's not here."  
  
Kagome looked at him in puzzlement, "Not here, what do you mean he's not here? Wasn't he supposed to be here, sailing with me also?"  
  
"Ah, yes, but we had a slight problem back in Italy."  
  
"What sort of problem?"  
  
"Well, you see, Sesshoumaru and I got in a bit of a fight at home last month, so he challenged me to a duel. He can be quite hotheaded if you push the wrong button, and knowing me, I couldn't back down, even if he was my brother. So, at dawn, we went outside, swords drawn and all, and it began."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened, "Don't tell me he's-"  
  
"Oh, nah. It's nothing like that. I just broke a couple of his ribs and an arm, that's all."  
  
"That's all? You could have both been killed! What about you, you don't seem to have anything injured?"  
  
"Oh, I got injured all right, he damn well near sliced my head off. I got a lot of cuts from him. See?" He turned around and showed her his back, drawing out a gasp from her. There were many large gashes and some were still bleeding. It was very red and raw. "But at the last moment I dodged him and he went crashing down the cliff."  
  
"You were fighting at the edge of a cliff?" Kagome said incredulously.  
  
"You could say that," Inuyasha laughed nervously. "But, hey, at least we got out of it alive, hmm?"  
  
"I can't believe you two, fighting to the death over a silly quarrel. I understand why he couldn't come now."  
  
Inuyasha refrained from telling her that the quarrel wasn't silly at all, if fact, it was quite serious. Of course, she didn't need to know that, it was between him and his brother.  
  
"Well, I will be seeing him once we get to Italy, right?"  
  
"Of course, he's not going anywhere with those injuries," Inuyasha chuckled.  
  
"When are we to set sailing?"  
  
"We just have to finish loading up all the cargo, and then it's high time," Inuyasha shouted to a sailor to hurry it up on starboard. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. We're not sailing straight to Italy yet."  
  
"We aren't? Then where are we going?"  
  
"First, I have to make a stop in Spain. I have some unfinished business to do with a man, and I can't ignore it."  
  
"What kind of business?"  
  
"You'll see when we get there," he smiled mysteriously at her.  
  
"Why didn't Sesshoumaru ever mention he had a brother before?"  
  
Inuyasha started to say, "Well, it's because-"  
  
"INUYASHA!!!! Get over here quick!" A sailor was waving frantically at him a few feet away.  
  
He growled, annoyed. "Damn, don't tell me it's Cook again." He sped away from her, shouting, "You just stay there, Kagome, it's nothing to worry about!"  
  
"What a strange man," Kagome said, smiling amusedly. She went over to the side of the ship and leaned over, looking down at the water.  
  
Awhile later, the ship was out of the port and sailing down the waters to Spain. As she looked out in the distance, a tear fell from her cheek into the blue waters below. It was a tear of goodbye to her homeland, and a tear of the future. Who knows what adventures lay ahead? Well, whatever they were, she was ready for them.  
  
Author's Note: Eh, heh. So what do you think? I know I said this was going to be in Medieval Times in my other story, but I changed my mind, it would be boring to read two stories that are in the same time, right? I wanted to try something new. =) 


	2. Knowing the Man Inside

"Beneath the Howling Stars"  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Knowing the Man Inside  
  
On the seas  
  
February 2, 1759  
  
Kagome inhaled the salty air of the sea, a feeling of tranquility passing over her as she watched the red ball of flame that was the sun set beneath the horizon. It was getting dark and she had just finished unpacking her belongings inside the cabin she was given. She felt like she had been sailing all of her life, for she truly was in love with the sea and its many fathomless mysteries now. She had let her hair down now, and it blew in tangles as the wind combed its fingers through the long midnight strands. She was not aware of a pair of golden eyes that watched her from afar.  
  
Inuyasha leaned one shoulder against a wooden beam, his hawk-like eyes gazing intently at the beautiful dark haired girl standing on the main deck, who was watching the setting sun with an expression of wondrous awe. There was something about her, he thought, something unique, but I can't put my finger on it. He shook his head of the ponderings and went to greet her.  
  
"How are your sea legs?"  
  
Kagome turned at the sound of his voice, a smile curving on her lips. "They're perfectly fine, I was afraid that I might get a bit sea sick."  
  
Inuyasha laughed, "Well, I'm glad you didn't. It would have been hell trying to live with you if you kept throwing up everyday."  
  
"I bet it would."  
  
"So what do you think of the sea?"  
  
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, "Oh, I absolutely love it! It makes me feel like I'm free, that there is no hindrance whatsoever."  
  
"You turned out all right, Kagome. I thought you would be some stuck up snob, but you aren't. Sesshoumaru was right to choose you."  
  
"Oh, well," she reddened.  
  
Inuyasha sniffed the air suddenly, licking his lips. "Hmm, it smells like Cook has gotten supper up. Let's go eat." He gestured for her to follow him to a table that was set up for two a few feet away. She sat down opposite him and placed a napkin delicately on her lap. The only items on the table were two large plates, forks and knives and a single candle.  
  
A dumpy gray haired woman wearing an apron came tumbling out of the kitchen cabin carrying two trays. It was a wonder she didn't drop it all. She had a round, cheerful face and her bright green eyes were very warm and open. She put the food on their plates; there were fresh buttered toast, croissants, fried fish, and a large juicy steak topped with exotic sauces. There was red wine and cold water. It all smelled delicious. She gave Kagome a warm smile and scowled at Inuyasha. Before he could open his mouth, she said, "Now, Inuyasha, I'll be doing all the introductions here."  
  
She looked at Kagome and winked at her. "Hello, dear. My name's Elizabette Beucet, but everyone around here calls me Cook. I'll be cooking all your meals for you so don't you worry yourself over the food. There'll be breakfast, lunch and supper everyday, and if you miss it, it's not my fault. All though I do make exceptions sometimes. I think you've met my husband, Quincy; he's one of the sailors on board. He was talking about a particularly pretty lady who asked him for the captain this morning."  
  
Kagome blushed at this, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Madame. I hope I shall get to know you and your husband better." Her husband must have been the man with all the gold teeth, she thought.  
  
"Oh, just call me Cook, there aren't any Madams and Monsieurs here, girl. You have plenty of time to get acquainted. We'll be stuck on Eternity for awhile, I bet, with all these matters Inuyasha has to tend to."  
  
Inuyasha cleared his throat loudly.  
  
Cook laughed, "I think it is time I left you two alone. Inuyasha seems to want to talk to you only." She sashayed herself from their table, humming a tune to herself.  
  
Kagome smiled, "So that's Cook. I like her, she seems very nice."  
  
Inuyasha grinned. "Yeah, who doesn't? I'm fond of her; she's like a second mother to me. She's been with me since I was a little toddler learning to walk."  
  
"You two must be very close."  
  
"Yep, she cooks the best steak in all of Europe," Inuyasha said proudly, digging into the huge juicy steak in front of him. He tore at the meat with his hands and bit off a large chunk, chewing hurriedly.  
  
Kagome watched him devour the entire thing under 15 seconds with her mouth hanging slightly open. Her plate of food lay forgotten, and her fork held midway to her mouth, as she was too busy looking at him wolf down the bowl of soup, croissants, and stripped the fish to its skeleton. When he finished, he looked at her and gave her such a cheesy smile that she had to laugh.  
  
"Hey, I wasn't renown for my manners," he said, licking his fingers. He took out a huge napkin and wiped his messy mouth clean.  
  
"What are you known for?" Kagome asked, beginning to eat at last. Hmm, it was delicious; Cook sure could whip up a fine meal.  
  
Inuyasha leaned back in his chair, and started picking his teeth. "Didn't Sesshoumaru tell you? I'm the black sheep of the family, the wild one, you might say. I love adventure, sword fighting, and things like that. I never was the one for fancy clothes and stiff manners of the rich. You know, I could have stayed and lived off of Sesshoumaru for the rest of my life, lord knows that bastard's filthy rich, but I didn't. I wanted to go and make my own fortune, and I must say, I'm quite enjoying it, all the adventures and treasures I've amassed."  
  
"Really, where have you been? What business besides ship building are you in?"  
  
"I've been around the world, almost everywhere. Egypt, Singapore, Cambodia, South America, you just name it. I'm somewhat of an explorer, to fund for my trips, I use the money from a small fortune my father left for me, and sometimes, I tend to try my hands at cards."  
  
"Oh, I'd love to hear about your adventures! To think how many wondrous places you've been, yet you look so young, how old are you?"  
  
"Alas, Kagome, I'm only a measly 17 years. I'm not even rightfully a man."  
  
"You have a lot of time ahead of you," Kagome. "I wouldn't say you aren't. I don't believe age matters at all. To be a man to me is to have that level of intelligence, maturity, experience and honesty. I think you already are, Inuyasha."  
  
"Why, thank you Kagome." He grinned at her. He reached out and kissed her hand.  
  
Kagome laughed. "You must have women all over you back home, Inuyasha. So tell me, who is your special lady?"  
  
His cheerful mood faded away right there before her eyes. He became solemn, his eyes withdrawn. He seemed to change into a whole other person. She was surprised to see such hurt and pain in his beautiful eyes. "Yeah, there was someone. We were going to get married. Of course, Sesshoumaru objected to it, said she wasn't the right one for me, said I was too young to know any better." He put his hand on the back of his head, and ran his fingers through the thick white strands. "I guess he was right. She was killed two days before we planned eloped." His shoulders shook with his painful loss.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. She must have been very special to you." Kagome reached out and took his hand in hers, trying to give him some comfort.  
  
"Yeah," he looked off in the distance, his voice very far away. "Beautiful as the full moon, with eyes like black pearls," Inuyasha shook his head, and cleared his throat, gaining back his composure. "Well, enough about me. Let's talk about you."  
  
She resisted the urge to ask him more about his past. She told him about her grandfather, mother and brother and their house in Paris, the city of love. She talked about how tired she was of the old life, with its many endless balls, proposals, and shallow worries. Inuyasha listened with an interested ear, he understood her perfectly. That was how he'd felt back at home. Stifled and out of place.  
  
"Hey, guys! Come on and join the fun!" Quincy waved at them, his gold teeth flashing in the candlelight. The sailors were singing and dancing to a folk song, played on the violin by a thin man, Jacques. They laughed and got up from their seats to join in.  
  
"Shall we dance?" Inuyasha bowed to her and she curtsied like a true lady. They danced to a fast song, singing along with the tune. The sailors cheered them on as they twirled around the deck, increasing the tempo. Soon Jacques ended the song with a loud finale and started a slow one.  
  
Inuyasha drew Kagome to him, waiting for her to protest at being too close to him, but she didn't. She leaned into him more until their bodies were touching. He stared down at her beautiful flushed face and cursed Sesshoumaru for finding her first. Her scent of roses and the feel of her pressed against his naked chest were too arousing. His hand around her waist tightened, for all he felt was softness there, not the feel of a hard corset. She wasn't wearing one; this girl was full of surprises. He pressed the side of his face to her cheek, feeling the softness of her skin, a forbidden softness he wanted to touch with his hands but didn't dare.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Kagome asked.  
  
"You."  
  
She blushed an enchanting red. He noticed she had a small dimple in the left corner of her mouth. The song ended and they went to catch their breaths.  
  
She was breathing fast from the exertion of all that dancing, her warm brown eyes shimmering like the bright stars in the night sky. Her dark hair clung to her sweaty face in soft curls, those soft lips parted in a smile just for him. She leaned against the rail, looking at him with an expression he couldn't read.  
  
He fought the urge to kiss her right then and there, with no thought that she was his brother's betrothed, to hell with that. But he knew that Sesshoumaru would kill him if he found out that Inuyasha had kissed his woman.  
  
"Inuyasha, look," she pointed at the sky where a shooting star flew by. "Make a wish," she whispered.  
  
I wish we could be like this, he thought, without the worries, and the pain of the past. I wish to be happy again.  
  
As he lay in bed that night, looking up at the twinkling stars through the window above his head, he thought it was a magical moment when they saw that shooting star. It meant something to him, though he wouldn't know why yet. His eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted off into sleep's welcoming arms.  
  
Kagome woke up at the sound of an enraged animal cry. It sounded like it was in great pain. It was coming from next door, Inuyasha? She bolted out of bed, forgetting to put on a robe over her thin shift and ran out into the dark hallway with her candle burning softly. It was coming from Inuyasha's cabin, and the cries were getting louder and louder. She slid the door open cautiously, not sure of what was going on. The room was pitch black, besides the light of the silver moon that was cast over his bed from the ceiling window.  
  
Inuyasha was thrashing wildly about, and he had flung the covers off his bed. He still had on his breeches. His sword lay nearby on the dressing table. She went over to him and touched his shoulder, starting to shake him awake. He lashed out at her and almost hit her in the stomach before his eyes opened. They didn't seem to focus on anything as they stared blankly at her face. "Inuyasha?" Kagome reached down and touched his sweat drenched face. He was breathing in short gasps, like there wasn't enough air in the room.  
  
"He killed her, he killed her, the bastard!" Inuyasha's golden eyes glowed with an illuminant brightness that frightened her a bit. Kagome came on his bed and pulled him into her lap. She put his face near her heart, and his breathing becoming steadier and calmer as she quieted him with her soft words.  
  
"Shh," Kagome said soothingly. "It'll be all right, Inuyasha, you just had a nightmare," she said, weaving her fingers through his hair and rubbing his back like a mother would her baby. Her heart ached for him, and she couldn't bear seeing him so lost and out of place like this. What had caused him to have such a nightmare? It certainly wasn't anything that happened today.  
  
"K-Kagome?" Inuyasha spoke then, his voice shaky. His body tensed, as if he just realized that she really was there.  
  
"Yes, I'm here."  
  
He pulled away from her and put his face in his hands, trembling. "I- I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For waking you up like this. You should have just ignored it like everyone else." He wiped the cold sweat of his brow, feeling angry with himself for letting her see him like this, this vulnerable. He was supposed to strong.  
  
Her brown eyes widened at that, "They let you go on like this? But why?"  
  
"It happens all the time, so don't bother yourself next time, all right? Sesshoumaru wouldn't like it if his fiancée was up all night tending to me."  
  
"I can't do that, Inuyasha. I don't like to see anybody in pain, I just couldn't bear it." She felt something sticky and wet on her fingers and raised her hand up to take a look. It was blood. She looked down at the white sheets and saw blood drops and streaks of red everywhere. "Inuyasha, you're bleeding!"  
  
He didn't seem to be surprised at this. "Yeah, I know. Damn cuts won't heal, and I had to have the sheets changed everyday. It gets annoying." He winced when she reached out to touch one.  
  
"Doesn't anyone know how to tend to injuries around here?" Kagome looked in shock as she surveyed the bloody damage his back had sustained.  
  
"Eh, I wouldn't think so. Cook just knows how to make dinner and wash the laundry. Everybody else does their own thing on the ship."  
  
"Oh my god, no wonder."  
  
"No wonder what?"  
  
"No wonder your back hasn't healed yet." She frowned at him, "Now, you go lay down and I'll be right back." She got off the bed and went out the door to her room.  
  
"Hey, what are you planning to do?" Inuyasha called out to her.  
  
"To fix you up, of course," Kagome came back a few minutes later with a large black box. She sat it next to the bed and took out a container labeled "Herbal Healing Ointment."  
  
"Now, roll onto your stomach so I can see your back."  
  
He did as he was told, grumbling, "I really don't see the point to this."  
  
She got a washcloth and dipped in the bowl of water and cleaned all the blood from his back. She then scooped a handful of that jelly like substance from the container into her hands and rubbed it in small, circular motions all over his stinging back. It smelled like mint and wasn't stinky at all. He sighed, liking the feel of her delicate hands soothing the aching cuts on his raw skin and her calming voice. "Where did you get this stuff?" Inuyasha asked curiously.  
  
"It's kind of strange really, I saw an Oriental man in the streets when I was coming to your ship, selling these large black boxes. It piqued my interest so I went to see what was in them. To my surprise it was a medical kit. I had to get one, you know, just in case something happen on my way to Italy. Now, I want you to be very still, because I'm going to sew the big cuts up, so they can heal and not break open again."  
  
"You? Do you really know how it?"  
  
"Of course, I learned it all from this healer I visited when my family was vacationing in the country. She was very skilled, and I learned a great deal from her." She started rummaging in the kit, taking out a pair of scissors, and thread. "All righty then, let's get to it."  
  
"I'm sorry, I know it's going to hurt a bit," Kagome said, "So I'm going to sing you a song to ease the pain." As she sewed him up, the words of the old French folk song and her lovely lilting voice swept through his senses. He wasn't aware of anything but her tranquil voice, caressing his ears, making a void where he could forget about his troubles and bask in the glow of her wonderful smile.  
  
Kagome finished in no time, beginning to pack up.  
  
He rolled onto his back, watching her get up and packed all the medical stuff up in the box.  
  
"Kagome, stay with me tonight, just one night. I-I'm afraid of the nightmares coming again."  
  
"Al-all right," Kagome said hesitantly.  
  
"Thank you. I won't ask anymore of you."  
  
"It is nothing, I'm glad I could help." Kagome lay down next to him, the bed was narrow and soon they were tightly spooned together. She didn't want to get too near him, but it was inevitable. She rested her head on his chest; it felt so nice and comforting, breathing in his masculine scent and listening to his strong heartbeat. She wrapped her hands lightly around his waist, and closed her weary eyes. "Inuyasha," she whispered, "I'm always here if you need me." Somehow, it seemed so right, with the two of them lying beneath the stars and the moon and not a care in the world. She forgot that she was Sesshoumaru's fiancée, and that she was sleeping with a man she had only met.  
  
Inuyasha lay there, listening to her rhythmus breathing, feeling the dainty touch of her fingers on his ribs, her lovely scent of roses drifting through his senses. Her eyelashes were the longest he'd even seen, like two dark fans covering those warm brown orbs. Her skin was so pale, but not as pale a death, for her cheeks were always flushed with a delicate pink rose that was very becoming. He trailed his finger along the contours of her face, tracing every line. He'd never felt this way before, like he belonged somewhere, right in the arms of this slip of a girl, who'd just burst through his life like a ray of merry sunshine. Sesshoumaru sure was a lucky son of a bitch, he thought. He was thinking what a magical night it was, and he thought he could even hear the stars howling above.  
  
It was magical indeed, for he'd met a fallen star.  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I'd like to clear up a thing or two. This is NOT a Sess/Kag story, it's Inu/Kag. Please do not get confused. That's all I have to say. As always, give me a review and tell me what you think. Thanks. =) Next chapter, Spain, here we come! With some old characters and new ones, who knows? Lots of surprises in store for you. 


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